Imagine this scenario:
It’s a quiet Friday night, your tummy is full from supper, and you’re checking your online banking to check the week’s spending. Just as you begin daydreaming about your plans for the weekend, the phone rings interrupting your thoughts.
“I’m on my way home,” a loved one informs you. ”And I’m bringing about 1000 friends with me.”
“WHAT?!?!” you exclaim.
“We’ll be there in an hour.”
PANIC.
This was essentially how I felt after receiving an email from a WordPress editor letting me know that one of my posts was selected as an editor’s pick.
It meant that this blogging platform- WordPress- would feature our site on the Discover page which picks the best blog posts and shares them with the entire blogging community. So there my little panda-inspired slice of the web would be on their account which has over 12.8 million followers. Of course I wasn’t surprised that it happened to be the the ONE post Fox and I collaborated on together… it just goes to show that this husband & wife duo work best when we put our heads together.
Anyway, I snapped myself out of my temporary paralysis and started doing the blog equivalent of housework over the course of a few days. I altered the colours, adjusted the fonts, tinkered with a widget here, tightened up a post there and double checked the ‘subscribe’ and ‘share’ buttons.
I actually had to wait around 10 days before it happened; in fact I had given up hope that it would happen at all. But last Sunday evening, it began: the ‘likes’, the comments, and the follows. Thousands of new visitors traipsed through my house, hugged my babies, admired my throw pillows and commented on Fox’s wall art. Though the overwhelming majority were wonderful guests (please come again!), some had their own agenda and a couple even tried to kick our dogs (I’m watching you).
And then…
*crickets*
*I peek my head out*
Coast is clear. Whew!
Looks like the party’s over and everyone went home. Now that it’s just us, can we chat?
So what does being an Editor’s Pick mean for me as a blogger? It equals a substantial increase in traffic to the site, recognition among my blogging peers, more subscribers and a confidence boost. All this and I have been blogging for less than a year! I feel chuffed!
I don’t know the odds of being selected. I’ll leave that to the math whizzes out there to determine. I may be good with words, but I’m certainly not good with numbers.
Of one thing I’m certain, though. It feels good, absolutely remarkable in fact, to realize that our experiences are resonating with readers and that my posts (at least one of them) have been chosen as among the best in the world. I am also taking this as a sign that Fox and I need to collaborate more!
When a writer writes for the pure joy of writing and takes photos for the pure joy of taking photos, it shows.
7 Things I Can Do Now Since Being Featured on Discover:
1. I can wear a sash on the streets of Kuwait that says “Miss Editor’s Pick.” Or maybe not, since I hate ironing and Fox isn’t around to do my bidding.
2. I can revel in the fact that I am finally getting positive comments and feedback from people besides my mum and my sister.
3. I can experience 5 minutes of fame without claiming to be impregnated by a pop star or having had an affair with U.S. president (considering who the American president is now, that would be pretty gross. Obama would’ve been a different story).
4. I can be happy that I now have readers in places I not only have never heard of, but also can’t pronounce their names. Although that won’t stop me from trying. (Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll … anyone?)
5. I get to put a new Discover tattoo on my website’s face! It’s here on the right (scroll up to find it) ->
6. I can boast about my new virtual friends in the region since I discovered a lot of bloggers in other Middle Eastern countries, sharing their experiences with the world too.
7. I have since figured out who at Discover I need to bribe in order to get featured again. Ben Huberman, if you are reading this, lets get in touch to discuss your terms. This has been fun!
So if you are new here:
¡Bienvenido! স্বাগতম! Selamat Datang! 您好! Tervetuloa! こんにちは! Добро пожаловать! 안녕하세요! สวัสดี! Hoşgeldiniz! Saluti! नमस्कार! !مرحبا hujambo! Goeie dag! გამარჯობა! Herzlich Willkommen! Ahoj! Sanbonani! Witam!
Its is really great to have you here in my virtual home. I would love if you could leave me a little comment about where you are from and what you’re blogging about so we can get to know each other!
88 Comments
Superb writing. I am shalini from mumbai india. I only read books so now I started writing about them just a newbie
Nice to meet you Shalini!
Hi! We’ve met before! I’m amulya from hyderabad, India. My blog is a collection of food references, food jokes, a huge collection of my embarrassing moments and my wonderful experiences in the hospital ward as a medical student. Hoping that you’ll drop by and give it a read!
Done and I love your writing and stories! So glad you found me!
LIKEWISE!!! *SCREAMS* *DANCE MOVES THAT LOOK LIKE IM CONVULSING* 😁😁😁
You really made me laugh so hard today 😀
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!! Also, also, I LOVE YOUR POSTS
I tend to get out of control when I find awesome people….excuse the mania 😝
Aww, that’s so awesome! Well done!!! 🙂
Thanks Bunny and Panda!
Congratulations! Your blogs are enjoyable to read!
Ah thank you so much Jeena 🙂
Well, thank God for Ben Huberman otherwise I would never have found you! Love your writing! It’s so much fun to read, specifically the gifs (the panda saying “hi” was so adorable!) I’m from India!
Nice to meet you Anne! Yip I need to send a little present to Ben 😀
Congratulations 💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻
Congrats on the Editor’s Pick! Your personality shines out through the blog perfectly, making for a great read.
Oh thank you so much for those kind words!! Just had a look at your blog now and I going to devour it post by post. Your posts look super interesting or maybe I am just biased because I LOVE Singapore and well, South East Asia in general.
That is great~~~!!!!! Well done! Now that’s some inspiration. 🙂
Ah thank you. Don’t know how it happened though 😀
Congratulations!You deserved to be an Editor’s Pick! I’m Atria from Philippines and now an expat in India 🙂 I write about anything under the sun and now you inspire me to document life as an expat 🙂 Your posts helped a lot even we’re from different countries. 🙂
Wow an expat in india?! That is so unusual because usually people leave India to become expats elsewhere. I am definitely going to check out your blog!
I get that reaction a lot 🙂 “Of all places, why India” Thank you for noticing me and for following! I’m so flattered! Thank you so much!
Congrats!! I only started following you a couple weeks ago and I just love the way your words flow together. It’s so natural and funny! I just recently moved to Switzerland, so I love reading your posts about adapting to expat life. Keep them coming! 😊
Ah so you knew me before the fame… a true friend 🙂 Just kidding. Thank you for your lovely words, I just write from the heart!
Congratulations! Loved the Editor’s choice post and I’m psyched that I clicked “follow” because your voice is fantastic. (Hops on board.) I’m from Boston and my blog is withloveandalittleselfdeprecation.com. It’s my love letter to hyperbole, my funny family, and finding the silver lining. Looking forward to reading more of your blog!
Hi Becca! Thank you so much for finding me and stopping by 🙂
Ahhhh this such an awesome news! So inspiring! Great job Expat Fox and Expat panda! You are so deserving to have this pick, you are a great blogger and I am one of your readers who is learning a lot about your adventures!
MABBROOKKKKK!
You are my ORIGINAL supporter right from day one! Don’t need to be on Discover to remind me of who was with me from the start 😀 Thanks for always being supportive 🙂
Thank you so much! XX
Hi Panda, I’m madeyerogue (fake name obviously) from Greece (that’s true though, lol). I stumbled upon your blog because of that Editor’s pick and after reading that I decided to follow you and read more. I write … well, I just write while thinking what I’m gonna be writing about since I’m no expert at anything but I’d love it if you wanted to read. Congrats on your success! Your writing puts a smile on my face! 🙂
This comment makes me soooo happy! We don’t have to be experts to write which is the beauty of blogging. Nice to meet you Mad eye!
Congratulations!!! You deserve it so much :)))) btw: add ‘Welcome’ in Polish at the end- Witam 🙂
Oh thank you so much! And it is done and dusted- just added it to the post! Thank you for sharing that bit of information with me. I love to learn phrases in new languages 🙂
You’re welcome 🙂
It’s inspiring to see that anything can be done, like you being featured on Discover and growing in the WordPress world. Thank you for sharing! My name is Abby. I love connecting with new people, fashion, and all things travel!
Hi Abby! I checked out your blog which has a beautiful interface by the way. Can’t wait to read your stories too. Thanks for your feedback 🙂
Omg congratulations!!!!! Xxx
Thank you! 😀
This was a funny post. Congratulations! Hopefully, one day I can reach these heady heights of the blogosphere 🙂
Haha its more chaotic rather than heady but hey, reach for the stars!!
Talk about being a celebrity! You should be chuffed and never stop talking about it! Can I please have your autograph? You can address it to Muna 😁
I’ve just sent you 3 head-shots addressed to Muna and 16 more that are blank so you can give to your friends. Prepare 14 white doves, 80 bottles of Evian and two hot tubs for when I visit you in Dubai as I have now reached outrageous celeb status! 😀
Haha! Lemme know in advance so I can roll out the red carpet …
Found you, yes, via Editors’ Pick. I taught English in Thailand last year, and love following other teachers working abroad! Congratulations!
That is wonderful because I loooove Thailand so much, Chiang Mai in particular. Just gave your blog a follow, because I love your open and honest style of writing 😀
Chiang Mai is where I completed my TESOL course–I lived there for one month and have a bit of a love affair with the city. 🙂 Thanks for the follow! Haven’t been writing much lately, but who knows what muse will inspire me in the future.
Just came across this post in the community pool. Such a fun read, was smiling the whole way down the page! And congrats to you!
Ah thanks so much, I’m happy I made you smile 😊
Great stuff, well done! Only just started reading your blog. Great motivation for some of us starting out. Feel free to share any tips😜
Hmm… tips… well be your usual sarcastic and punchy self that avoids people in real life but welcomes them with virtual open arms on the internet (but also warily because weirdos are out there…). Haha I just write from the heart and hope for the best. I feel astonished rather than smug when I hear that people enjoy my ramblings especially about the Middle East 😀 Just keep at it 🙂
Ohh Congratulations! You r awesome! I am totally in love with your blog now. I am Aditi from India and I m new to this blog writing n Al stuff but I tell u m loving all this. Your this post has inspired me to write more. Lots of love! 😍
Ah I am so happy to meet you Aditi 🙂 Glad to have inspired you to write more!
Happy to u meet u too 😁😁😁
Hey Panda! I enjoyed your post and am looking forward to reading more. 🙂 I am Micque from the United States and have just started blogging. At 58 I coming to terms with my past…. yowza!!! And congrats on the Editor’s Pick!! Super exciting!
Hi Rio! Thanks so much stopping by and it is absolutely wonderful to meet you 🙂
Thank you. It’s great meeting you too. 🙂
Woah. I feel like some sort of uber-in-the-know hipster. I thought your blog was lovely *before* you became editors pick. I have a feeling this means I deserve a cookie. 😀
You get a signed headshot! Haha! Thanks for being an original supporter… you could say you have a sixth sense about these things? 🙂
I only found you a few weeks ago, so I don’t think I can claim a sixth sense. I was just lucky. 😀
I love this. haha. It made me laugh. It also gave me hope. Thanks!
Thank you for reading and glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I loved that post – and this was so refreshing and interesting to read!
Thank you for reading and glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I found you through discover and I’m glad I did. I loved your content so far. Keep writing. You’re awesome
Thank you for reading and glad you enjoy my blog 🙂
Do you post daily? It would be awesome if you do post daily.
I try to focus on quality rather quantity so I just post once or twice a week.
Congratulations Panda! That is amazing
Ah thank you Roslin!
How did I miss this post?!?!? Well done hun!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m so looking forward to the photo of you with the sash on haha! x
HAHA not a chance! But thanks for the well wishes, feedback and support that I always get from you 🙂
I have sense of humour but your post make me laugh 😂 keep writing and I’ll keep laughing
Haha I will do just that!
What I like in your posts are the GIFs! keep on rolling! It’s all funny 🙂
Haha that is the best part of writing a post… choosing the gifs! thank you!
That’s a lovely post — I’m really thrilled that lots of new readers found your featured post through Discover and that it resonated with them. As for my bribe-ability, I’ve yet to succumb, though it’s also true that until now no one has ever tried with high-quality baked goods, so… who knows? 🙂
There is a first time for everything and if we ever are on the same continent, you will have some freshly baked goods coming your way; not to bribe you but just to say thanks! 🙂
Wow.. Super cool post there!! Glad I found you through Discover 🙂 I just started blogging and this post here is a huge inspiration. Thanks a lot and Cheers 😀
Thanks for the kind words! keep up the blogging 😀
Congratulations! Good job and being “discovered” is well deserved!
Thank you so much!!
Congratulations..!! yayyyyy 🙂
Thank yoooouuuuu!
[…] Source: 7 things I can now do after being an Editor’s Pick on WordPress Discover! […]
Thank you for this!! I just got picked to be an editors pick and I was freaking out, having no idea what it really meant. This made me laugh, and I absolutely love it. I followed your blog, and it’s amazing!
Love this post and your writing style. Congrats on getting featured. I can totally understand why 😀
Thank you for your kind words 🙂
Wow great read love the funny and light hearted feel to it! Well done as well on your blogging achievement!! I am new to this and just started blogging myself about being Brit living in Mozambique, and you inspired me to keep going at it! Would love it if you could stop by and check out my page? Thanks and keep writing!